Tom Jones' brutal verdict on 'cold' BBC bosses after being axed from The Voice

Sir Tom Jones was one of the original coaches on The Voice UK, but was axed by the BBC ahead of the fifth series of the show, and he didn't hold back in his criticism

Sir Tom Jones didn't mince his words when he branded the BBC a "cold place" after being dropped from The Voice UK ahead of its fifth series.

The legendary crooner, who was an original coach on the show with will.i.am, Jessie J, and Danny O'Donoghue, was unceremoniously axed after four seasons. Sir Tom revealed that he had been under the impression that the show would return and even heard rumours about Paloma Faith taking over Rita Ora's spot as she moved to ITV's The X Factor.

However, just one month before filming was due to start, Tom alleges that the producers told his agent he wouldn't be "invited back", paving the way for Boy George to join the panel. The Delilah hitmaker expressed his astonishment in his 2016 autobiography 'Over The Top and Back', writing: "To say I was shocked is to put it mildly.", reports Wales Online.

He wasn't so much taken aback by being replaced but by the manner in which it was done. Acknowledging that "nobody has the right to think of themselves as a permanent fixture", Sir Tom recounted how, upon his management challenging the decision, BBC executives bluntly stated he was "out of contract".

Reflecting on the stark response, he concluded: "Indisputable as a bald statement of fact, I guess. But what a cold place the BBC is. Sometimes you wonder whether it is run by humans or a machine in the basement." Sir Tom Jones, making a tuneful return to The Voice UK, gave his verdict ahead of the latest auditions on ITV. Joining the singing legend will be LeAnn Rimes, will.i.am, and newcomers Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher from McFly, as they hunt for the nation's next big vocal talent.

LeAnn Rimes steps in for the departing Anne-Marie, with Danny and Tom taking over from Olly Murs, creating a revamped coaching panel. Speaking about the new lineup, Sir Tom Jones said: "We have our new coaches, LeAnn, Danny and Tom, joining myself and Will. It has brought a fresh energy to the show. What amazes me is the brilliant voices that we discover every single year."

The Welsh music giant added: "This year we have a fresh bunch of singers and that's what we are looking for. I look at The Voice being an amazing platform for our homegrown singers to showcase to the world." Highlighting the diversity brought by the refreshed judging panel, he continued: "I think the strength in the variety of coaches is that we are all listening for completely different things, which makes it interesting."

The Voice UK airs on ITV1 on Saturdays at 8:30pm.

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